The Beat Goes On

Liverpool, Popular Music and the Changing City

In 2001 the Guinness Book of Records declared Liverpool ‘City of Pop’, reflecting its status as the British city that has produced the most hit records relative to the size of its population. But why is Liverpool so important musically and how has it sustained its importance, from the Beatles to the Zutons and beyond?

The Beat Goes On is a critical historical account of popular music in Liverpool which explores the contextual, creative and geographical factors that have contributed to the city’s status as a major centre of creativity within Anglo-Amercian popular music.